Wall bracket



Julyllrl944- R. s. SANFORD 2,353,364

WALL BRACKET Filed July 27, 1942 2 Sheets-Shet 1 y 1944- R. s. SANFORD 7 2,353,364

WALL BRACKET Filed July 27, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 11, 1944 FICE WALL BRACKET Roy S. Sanford, Oakville, Conn, assignor to The Incorporated, Oakville, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application July 27, 1942, Serial No. 452,483

Autoyre Company,

Claims.

-'I'his invention relates to wall brackets and fixtures, more particularly to fixtures comprising brackets for attachment to a wall for detachably supporting a'tray, dish or the like.

The present invention'relates to a bracket for supporting a tray or the like comprising a vertically extending wall-engaging plate and a substantially horizontally extending tray or dishsupporting portion secured to the wall-engaging plate. The plate extends a substantial distance above the tray and tray-supporting portion to act as a guard for the wall.

While the particularbracket of this invention will hereinafter be described more particularly in conjunction with a tray or dish for holding soap, water tumblers, toothbrushes, and the like, itwill, of course, be understood that this bracket may be adapted for use in association with various and sundry articles for the support thereof.

Fixtures and accessories such as soap dishes, towel bars, toothbrush and tumbler holders for use in bathrooms, kitchens and the like locations have heretofore been proposed wherein the fixtures are not capable of ready removal. In certain fixtures of this type, such'as soap dishes and toothbrush and tumbler holders, it is desired that the fixture be readily removable-for cleaning 'or sterilizing, as it is difficult to clean or sterilize such a fixture while it is in place upon the wall or similar support. It is, of course, difficult and impracticable to remove built-in fixtures each-time that it is desired to sterilize or cleanthem'. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a fixture-holding bracket and fixture-therefor wherein the fixture may be bodily removed with onehand by a simple withdrawing movement, and may as readily be replaced for subsequent use.

A further object of'this invention is toprovide a fixture having a smooth-surfaced exterior, and wherein the bracket-engaging portions thereof do not comprise holes or openings into the fixture proper, but comprise fixture-encompassing arms which serve to reinforce as well as support and maintain the fixture in place.

. It is another object of the present invention to provide a fixture-supporting bracket wherein the inherent resiliency of the material from which the bracket is formed may be utilized to the greatest extent in providing a, construction which permits ready removal and replacement of the fixture supported thereby.

Other objects and advantages will appear from a consideration ofthe following detailed specification. For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may now be had to the dnawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a. wall bracket having a toothbrush and tumbler holder in place.

2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 of the bracket only. i

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the toothbrush and tumbler holder shown in Fig. 1, taken on the lines 3-3.

. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed rear elevation of one corner of the fixture shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through the F center .of the holder showing a portion of a dish in place.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of an assembled bracket and soap dish.

I Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of wall bracket.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 6 of a still further embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the wall bracket of Fig. 8 with the tray removed.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section of a portion of the tray and an arm of the bracket of the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, thereof, the wall bracket therein shown comprises a substantially vertically extending wall-engaging plate l0 having a substantially horizontally extending traysupporting portion comprising spaced forwardly projecting arms H and I2 secured to the plate at the lower end thereof. The plate Ill may be of the configuration shown and may be embossed, whereby inaddition to being structurally strong, its appearance is enhanced. It may be of any contour and design in keeping with the use to which it is to be put. This plate may be apertured to accommodate fastening screws for securing it in place and these apertures may include eyelets by which the arms II and I2 may be secured to the wall-engaging plate I0.

The arms II and I 2 are preferably of the form and shape indicated wherein terminal portions l3 are separated from the wall-engaging plate ll) by intermediate portions l4, and the juncture between these two portions is defined by a transverse ridge or apex l5. This provides spaced resilient arms which are channel-shaped in crosssectional contour. Each arm includes portions disposed out of axial alignment, so that both are of the same general shape as the end of the tray to be supported thereby.

It will be apparent that with a tray of the hexagonal contour shown, the tips [6 of the terminal portions l3 are closer together than the greatest overall length of the tray, but are spaced apart a distance greater than the length of the mar wall of the tray. This permits the tray to be placed in its support by a simple bodily rearward movement so that the arms are spread by contact with the rear inclined end walls of the tray. This permits the arms to snap back around the edges of the tray when the tips I6 have passed over the apexes of the tray end walls. To facilitate entry of the tray between the arms, the tips it of these arms may comprise slightly outturned portions of the character indicated.

The wall-engaging plate Ill may include a lower' 1 portion I! which is set back or recessed, as particularly shown in Fig. 5, so that the lower edge l8 of the embossment immediately thereabove projects over the rear edge of a tray or dish when supported by said arms. This assists in concealing the point of juncture between the tray and its support and permits a finished appearance at this point.

As shown in Fig. 1, the forwardly projecting arms II and 12 may support a dish or tray such as the combined toothbrush and tumbler holder 59, which may be installed in plac by a simple bodily movement, whereby the raised peripheral channel shape to receive the peripheral bead 33 embossment surrounding. the tray may be engaged by the outturned tip portions of the arms H and i2, causing these arms to separate during the movement of installing the tray in place and permitting them, by their own resilience, to return into place in the assembledposition as shown in Fig. 1.

, When thedish or tray is in place, that portion of the raised peripheral flange or bead Zfl located at each end of the tray is snugly embraced by the channel-shaped arms H and I2 and the tray is kept from accidental dislodgmentby the terminal portions I3 of the arms which are disposed at an angle, as shown. 7

As particularly shown in Fig. 4, the rear wall 2| of the dish may be serrated or otherwise roughened. In this manner, its surface may be made non-transparent so that the structural details of the support for holding the bracket in place are obscured. v

In Fig. 6 of the drawings is disclosed an embodiment wherein asoap dish 2| is supported by a bracket of the character hereinabove described. It will be noted that this soap dish 2 I is also provided with a peripheral flange or bead 22 which functions in the same manner as the flange 20 of the combination tumbler and toothbrush holder [9, whereby the hexagonally shaped soap dish is retained in place by the resilient arms II and I2 inthe manner hereinbefore described.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment wherein a wallengaging plate 23 of much smaller construction is provided, which plate has a medially disposed transverse embossment 24. A wire frame is secured to opposite sides of this embossment 24 as by welding, soldering, or the like, so as to form a closed loop with opposed portions comprising spaced arms 25 of the character shown which serve to engage above and below the peripheral flanges Her 22 of the trays H! or 2|, as the-same are inserted therein.

In'Figs. 8, 9 and 10, a somewhat similar construction is shown embodying the features of this invention and differing from the embodiment of the soap dish 21. In order to positively guard against accidental displacement from the spaced arms, the peripheral bead 33 of the soap dish is provided with oppositely disposed notches 34 (Fig. 10) into which suitable ears 35 on the free ends .of the arms 30 and 3| have snap engagement.

The ears 35 are normally disposed apart a distance less than the distance between the opposite outer surfaces of the peripheral head 33 and in order to ensure that the dish may be inserted between these ears merely by a rearward movement of the dish, the rear corners of the bead 33 are given a radius of curvature sufficiently great to ensure that the ears 35 will not abut against the rear wall of the dish, but will instead engage the curved corners of the dish and be spread outwardly to receive the bead 33 between the arms 39 and 3i, as the dish is moved rearwardly.

Ixlodifi cations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is, therefore, desired that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.-

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured; by Letters Patent is:

1. A bathroom fixture comprising, a bracket member having a vertical wall-engaging plate of;

greater width than height, resilient tray-holding arms or substantially channel-shaped cross-section secured to said plate adjacent each end thereof, and a tray havin a peripheral bead portion slidable within said channel shaped arms, a portion of said plate, extending above said tray to serve as a wall guard.

2-,.A bath room fixture comprising an elon-. gated wall-engaging plate, spaced armssecured a pposi e s o sa d pla e. and a. tray to, be supported by said arms, said, tray being of a greater length through its middle portion than. through its sideportions so that each end is provided t a e l' r rudi g bul e lyin i th plane thereof, a peripheral head portion extending around each end of said tray, each of said arms being formed to conform tothe contour of said; bulge and being of substantially channelshaped cross section to snugly engage said bulge with said bead portion nested in said channelshaped section to retain. the tray in place.

3. In a bathroom fixture wherein a tray is removably supported by a wall-engaging bracket the combination'witha tray having irregular ends and outwardly extending bead portions on said ends of spaced'arinsonsaid bracket, said arms being shaped to engagesaid irregular ends and comprising channel-shaped resilient strips longitudinally formed to closely engage the ends of said tray and said bead portions to retain the tray in place.

4. A. bathroom fixture comprising a wall-engaging bracket and. a transparent tray supported thereby, saidbracket comprising a wall-engaging portion and spaced horizontally extendingarms at each end of said wall-engaging portion, said tray having projecting bead portions on the end surfaces thereof, said arms including spaced apart upper and lower tray-engaging surfaces adapted to engage the upper and lower surfaces of said bead portions for support of said tray thereby, the rear edge of said tray for abutment against said wall-engaging surface being serrated to conceal the adjacent portion of said bracket when in place.

5. A wall bracket construction for removably supporting a tray, said bracket comprising a wall-engaging plate, spaced arms of substantially channel-shaped cross section secured to said plate and extending therefrom, intermediate portions of said arms being bowed away from each other and being of a length less than the width of said tray, the ends of said arms being normally separated a distance slightly greater than the length of the rear wall of said tray and said channel-shaped cross section terminating short of the point of securement of said arms to said plate, whereby said arms are resiliently disposed to permit bodily insertion of said tray therebetween.

6-. A wall bracket for support of a tray, said bracket comprising a vertical wall-engaging plate having an elongated transverse embossment, spaced tray-supporting arms secured to said wallengaging plate at opposite ends thereof to support a tray immediately below said embossment whereby said embossment overhangs the rear edge of said tray to conceal the juncture of said tray with said wall-engaging plate.

'7. A wall bracket for support of a tray, said bracket comprising a wall-engaging plate having an arm-supporting embossment, tray-engaging arms formed of a single piece of wire reversely folded to provide a wire loop having upper and lower portions, said loop being secured to said embossment on opposite sides thereof, the opposite ends of said loop being turned outwardly away from said wall-engaging plate and spaced to provide tray-supporting arms.

8. A wall-engaging bracket for support of a tray, said bracket comprising a wall-engaging plate, tray-supporting arms standing forwardly from said plate, said arms comprising upper and lower wire portions to engage the upper and lower surfaces adjacent the edge of a tray, and a tray having its edge surface recessed to receive the wire portions of said arms.

9. In a wall fixture the combination of a traysupporting bracket and a tray for support thereby, said bracket comprising a wall-engaging plate, arms secured to said plate and extending therefrom at opposite ends, and a tray to be supported by said arms, said tray having a periph- 20 eral bead and said bead adjacent each end being transversely notched, each of said arms being channel-shaped to engage the upper and lower edge of said bead and said arms having inwardly deformed notch-engaging portions to engage said 5 notches and retain said tray in said bracket.

10. A wall fixture comprising a bracket member having a wall-engaging plate, resilient supporting arms secured to said plate and projecting therefrom to embrace a tray, said arms in- 30 eluding spaced apart upper and lower tray-engaging portions, and an elongated tray having an arm-engaging peripheral head portion, said tray being supported by engagement of said upper and lower portions of said arms with the 5 upper and lower surfaces of said peripheral bead and being removable from said engagement by outward bodily movement of said tray.

ROY S, SANFORD. 

